NAOMI Campbell has been unveiled as the winner of this year’s ‘Fashion Icon Award’ at The Fashion Awards 2019.
The British superstar will be presented with the accolade on December 2 at this year’s edition of the prestigious annual ceremony, which is set to take place at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
“We cannot think of a more deserving recipient than iconic Londoner Naomi Campbell, she has achieved exceptional work in the industry,“ said Caroline Rush, Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council (BFC) in a statement.
“Naomi represents female empowerment, activism and glamour and her voice is used for great impact.”
The supermodel took to Instagram to express her delight at the news with her 7.3 million followers, saying: “After 30+ years of working in the fashion industry and learning it from all different perspectives, to traveling the world and finding my life’s purpose in activism, it is so special for me to be back in London to receive such an incredible acknowledgment for my life’s work.
“Thank you to every single person who has been a part of my journey since day one.”
London-born Campbell has carved out a spectacular career in the industry since she was first scouted by a modelling agent as a teenager.
She was the first black model to cover French Vogue in 1988, and the first black model to feature on the cover of American Vogue’s September issue in 1989, in addition to being the first British black model to star on the cover of British Vogue.
As one of the five original supermodels, she has taken to the catwalk countless times for houses such as Chanel, Versace, Louis Vuitton and Prada, to name just a few, and she continues to dominate the fashion world today, having landed covers for British Vogue, Vogue Japan and Elle US so far this year.
Campbell is also known for her activism -- particularly in Africa -- notably carrying out long-term charity work with Nelson Mandela from 1993, starting the Fashion for Relief charity in 2005 and launching a “Diversity Coalition” campaign in 2013, to address racism in the fashion industry.
Last November, she launched a YouTube channel called ‘Being Naomi,‘ offering fans an insight into her life and sharing her experiences as a model as well as an activist, entrepreneur, and general all-around influencer.-AFP
